Process and apparatus for photographic type-composing



March 14, 1933.

E. UHER, JR

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE COMPOSING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 25, 1950 E. UHER, JR

March 14, 1 933.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC TYPE COIPOSING Filed June 25,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /r/ h H A 0 Al Ev A Patented 1.4, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE EDIOND 'UHEK IR, 01 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, ASSIGNOB-TOUHEBTYPE m- GEBELLSCHAI'T, OF GLABUS, Sl FIILZERIAIN'ID rnocnss Am)arranarus roa rno'roenarnro 'rYrn-ooxrosme Application filed J'une V25,1980, Serial No. 463,761, and in Germany lay 5, 198D.

For. photographic type composing, as is known, a few simple printingcharacter patterns are sutlicient, w ich can be very easily and cheaplymade, kept in'stock, and ex- 5 changed, and admit of being reproducedphotographically in any desired sizes. With this is also associated thefact that the finished form has practically no weight and occupiespractica ly no space in comparison with a lead type form, and can bequickly and easily manipulated quite accurately by purely mechanicalmeans, and can be readily enlarged photographically. As a set offagainst these main advantages there are certain difliculties which areexperienced in ensuring the letter press space breadths of the difierentforms'of letters, and in the justification of the lines, and also in thesupervision and correction of the form.

These three main disadvantages follow from the circumstance that thespatial displacement capacity and the tangibility of the forms ofletters embodied in lead are completely absent from the projectionimages to be composed. The suggestions hitherto made relating tophotographic type composing tend to replace the advantageous propertiesof the printing type characters in the case of prO ected images byindirect means, in that they involve a complicated and expensive newplant, comprising numerous unreliable component parts, and inconjunction. therewith a complete re-training of the compositors.

Now the object of the present invention is to unite the main advantagesof photographic type composing with the main advantages of separatesetting, without the disadvantages indicated. The process according tothe invention consists essentially in the fact that the printingcharacters during.

' the preparation of the active mechanical control impulses. under thesupervision of the compositor himself, are represented .by these controlbodies, which, in conjunction with one or more particular controllingvalues which accuratel determine the printing character in questionmechanicall and which the said rinting bodies alrea y'embody in themseves, or carry with them in the form of controlimpulse selections, admitof being handled as freely as printing type characters or the like. Therequisite corporeal properties of the printing characters areaccordingly to be represented as detached from the projected imageitself, and the mechanical and optical parts embodied, which areseparated from one another to the greatest possible extent, are each tobe handled under their most favourable operative conditions. Themechanical cohesion ofthe two parts will admit of being reduced to aminimum in the form of a mere feel of control or the like. i I

The control bodies are according to the invention first set up intocontrol lines in the manner of printing characters, this being donesimply as if they were rintin type or the like, and are also justifieand t e line to be printed is then mechanically controlled step. by stepalong the control line.

The employment of such control bodies, and also the previous assemblingand the arranging thereof into controllines of predetermined length,need not in reality involve any appreciable sacrifice, because controlbodies already arranged in stacks, for the controlling of control linesin the manner of the matrices of ordinary type-setting machines, may beassembled and distributed in a'mechanical circuit, and therefore withthe readiness to which the compositor is accustomed. Photographic typecomposing i will accordingly proceed of itself with thg skill of thecomposing machine work. Furthermore the time needed for the separatephase required for the formation of a control line will admit'of beingsaved, owing to the fact that the preceding controlled line is set upand justified during the controlling of the next following line.

The processes described yield tangible carriers of the controllingvalues occurring, which are intended to present the space breadths ofthe letters or the like embodied thereby with the clearness andintelligibility of printing type or the like, and in themselves alone torepresent the decisive quali- 'ties of the printing characters, withoutparticipating themselves directly in the print- 1 tive and partly incross section.

v the matrices they embody a plurality of con.-'

ing, or being themselves bound directly to the printing character imagein the giving of dimensions or in the performance of their other duties.The space breadths and the justifying will therefore be effected as inthe case of type printing or the like. Inthecourseof this specificationit willbe shown that the problem of supervising and correct ing has alsobeen solved and furthermore that the controlling values of thecontrolling bodies can be transmitted with change of amplitude.

A few constructional forms of control bodies and photographictype-composing machines according to the invention are diagrammaticallyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3are perspective views of three different control bodies,

Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of a control line in a collector,where the control bodies appear in a horizontal central section throughFigures 1 to 3,

Figure 5 is a broken longitudinal section of a'control line, togetherwith further controlling devices, where the control bodies appear invertical longitudinal section through Figures 1 to 3, v

Figure 6 is a cross section of similar members in another constructionalform, a control body according to Figure 2 being shown in elevation, and

Figure 7 shows'a general View of a photographic-type-composing machinein perspec- In Figures 1, 2 and 3, three. control bodies 1, 1 and lf-areshown, provided with pairs;v of lugs 2 and withdistributing teeth 3 of.

the nature of the matrices of type-composing machines, which fitdirectly into the The control. bodles show the block-like form of baseof usual composing machines.

the matrices. with guiding surfaces extendmg m the direction of thelines, and with .1 lateral bounding planes perpendicular? to theguiding. surfaces, butas contrasted with trolling values in the form ofimpulse delivering lengths of different linear dimen- "sions.

They should accordingly be accurately machined, and can be fitted to thevariables occurring, according to the simplestconditions. x V v Thecontrol dimensions X X? -and X of f the: breadths of the particularprinting chanthe direction of the line, thev decisive longi acters arerepresented by the distances of. the two lateral'boundaryplanes. fromone another; but the control dimensions Y, Y

and Y of the printing characterselection are provided in the form ofslots, 4%, and 4 which extend through the control. bodies in tudinaldimensions thereof being perpendlcular to the direction of the line.

The

slidable in a guide 6, for the purpose of enabling the finished controllineL to move past in front of an actuating position not extendingbeyond the reach of a control body, during the controlling operation. Ittends'to pass into its end position, towards which it is pulled by acable 10,-secured at 7, passed round an independently supported roller8. and loaded with a weight 9, but it is checked step by step accordingto the measure of stop surfaces on the control bodies, which are placedin the direction of the line,- so that the controlling proceeds fromone. printing character to ,the next in series.

Such a stop surface is' obtained without impairing the outlineillustrated in Figures 1 to 3 in the following manner 1 On the controlbodies '1'; of the two wide sides 11 and 12, in general only the formeris left straight, while the latter is bevelled rearwardly in thedirection of the line. In

the sequence of control bodies 1 closed to form a line L thereiaccordingly occurs a cam surface of saw-toothed section, where the parts13 remaining uncovered serve as stop surfaces.

All that now need be done is to provide suitable plungers in astationary position in the'region of the path-of'the collector and toactuate them periodically in any convenient manner, in order that thecontrolling values contained in the line L maybe trans missiblemechanically. Figure 1 shows for example a bolt shaped plunger 16,sliding to and fro in a guide 14, and acted upon by a spring 15. If thisplunger is somewhat lifted in the direction of the arrow at one momentand then released, that is to say,- merely lifted over the upper edge ofthe stop surface 13, the collector 5 slides as awhole towards the left,until the plunger 16, feel- 1n the wide side 12, strikes against thenext fofiowing stop surface 13. The longitudinal displacement of. thecollector 5 thus obtained accurately returns the controllin dimensionfalling into-the line direction, '0 the control body 1 in question, andthis dimension in its turn is proportional to the breadth of theparticular printing character. The collector. displacement in questioncan accordingly be employed mechanically, either directly or with theinterposition 1 of any desired transmission ratio, for the adjustment-bfthat light-sensitive support" which has to re-= ceive the actualphotographic form. This i 12 of the control bodies 1 or 1 whichrepresent stationary or justifiable filling pieces, are not bevelled butstraight. The full wide sides, slide past underneath the plunger 16without being checked, and hand in hand therewith the light-sensitivesupport is smoothly and idly fed forward correspondingly to suchpositions. I

It is also necessary to take care that in the photographictype-composing device itself the pattern of that particular printingcharacter which is represented by the particular control body is alwaysadjusted for photographing. For this purpose the selector slots 4co-operate according to Figure 5 with a feeler-like plunger 17. Thelatter is periodically actuated by the aid of a compressed air cylinder18 and its piston 19,

with which it is connected by means of a rack- 20. The latter mesheswith a pinion 21, and a toothed wheel 22 keyed to the pinion 21 mesheswith a rack 23, which in its turn is connected with a glass plate 24.

The glass plate 24 is the carrier of various transparent printingcharacter pat terns, which are arranged in a line thereon,

and which pass individually into the'stationary photographing positionof a photographic com osing device accordingto the amplitude o thelongitudinal displacement of the glass plate 24. It therefore dependsultimately upon the height Y of the selector'slots 4 that limit theplunger strokes, hgw far the glass plate 24 is displaced, that is" tosay, which printing character pattern thereon is adjusted. It istherefore only necessary to dimension the slot heights Y proportionallyto the longitudinal co-ordinates of the positions occupied by theprinting character patterns on the glass plate, in order that to eachprinting character pattern there may correspond a selector slot of itsown on its control body. j

If forexample there are forty-six different printing characters, andtherefore fortysix patterns provided on the glass plate 24,

forty-six control bodies will have to-be provided with an equ'al'numberof different slot heights. If, however," the patterns on the glass plateare arranged in two or more rows it will suffice to provide one andthesame selector slot height for all the patterns that have the samelongitudinal co-ordinate on thelglass plate 24. Figure 6 showsa changing"device suitable for this purpose for a' glass plate having two rows.The con- 'trol body 1, in=additionto the selector slot 4 which, like theselector slot 4, co-operates with a plunger device according to Fi ure5,:

has an auxiliary selector slot 4?, which in bring about a raising orlowering of the glass plate 24 in a direction transverse to the rowsof'patterns.

In control bodies according to Figure 1, which are not provided with asecond slot, the plunger 17 cannot penetrate so far that it will bringabout an exchange. Such control bodies will be employed for example forthe small letters, while the control bodies for capital letters will beprovidedwith auxiliary slots. Accordingly one row on the glass, plate 24will contain the small letters and the other row the capital letters. Incontrol bodies of stationary or justifiable filling pieces no selectorslots at all are necessary, because the same have nothing to be adjustedfor photographing.

Figures 1, 2'and 4 show that on the wide sides 11 indicating marks 28,28 and so forth may be provided, which immediately indicate theprintingcharacter that is represented by the control body in question.These indicating marks preferably project so far'that they enable aproof impression In Figure 7 will be seenthe main parts ,of aphotographic type-composing machine,

where the plunger strokes, influenced b the selector slots-4, aretransmittedto a p otographic composing device with a drumshaped patterncarrier. The rack 20 carrying the plunger '17 3 rests in the inoperativeposition on a stop 35, and the up strokes permitted by'the variousselector slots 4 set the pinion 21 1 in rotary motion, which istransmitted by means of a shaft 36 and of two bevel .wheels37, 38 to avertical shaft 39.

The latter carries at its upper end an inclined mirror 40: whichreflects rays of light 1 comin inclined annular mirrors 42 and 42 to aninclined mirror located at the inner end of the shaft-39, andfrom-hereinto a photo from a lamp 41 along a path indicated ydot-and-dash-lines, by way of two graphic objective lens 43. 'A"stationary "disc 44 carries a. glass drum 45, on the periphery of whichthe transparent. printing character patterns are arranged in belts 46-,46 and 46 With the shaft 39 there also revolves in the direction of thearrow the upper half 47 of a ratchet mechanism provided with wedgeteeth, while the lower half 47 of the ratchet mechanism is stationary,and can be raised and lowered by means of rods 48. v

The up strokes of the plunger 17 ultimately each rotate the shaft 39through a definite angle. The different angular rotations of the latterinvolve diflerent photographic adjustments, because the' two inclinedmirrors mentioned above are rotated with it, and the rays of light fromthe lamp 41 vpass round the circuit of the belts 46 and thereforeilluminate just that particular printing character pattern whichcorresponds to the particular selector slot 4.

Now to' the longitudinal co-ordinates of the glass plate 24 of Figure 5there correspond the partial rotations of the shaft 39, and theauixiliary slots have here to pro vide for the raising of the particularbelt of printing characters 46, 46 or 46 to the level of the lowerannular mirror 42 The displacements effected by the selector slots 4 areadjusted by the fact that the lower half 47 of the ratchet mechanism israised at suitable moments. Thev wedge effect of the teeth is thusintended to ensure the accuracy of the adjustments. The flexibility ofthe driving mechanism requisite for this purpose may be obtained byinterposing an elastic element at any convenient position. Such anadjustment is of course also possible in other pattern carriers.

The light-sensitive support is displaced by the aid .of a two-armedlever 49, the pivot 50 of which, for the purpose of regulating thetransmission ratio, is shifted on a slide 52 in a guide 51 and can bemade fast by means of a screw 53. The lever49 is attached to thecollector 5 at one end in longitudinal slots 54, 54 and at the other endby a pin 55 to a slide56, which takes with it step wise by means of apin 59 a strip of film 58 unwinding in the direction of the arrow from aroll 57, as it is liberated by the plunger 16 in proportion to thecorrespondin stops'of the control bodies. The slide 56 is constantlypulled in the direction of the arrow towards its end position by a cable10 passing over a pulley 8 and loaded with a weight 9 From one controlbody to the next, that is to say, from one printing character to thenext, the shaft36 is rotated at will, and therefore the correspondingcharacter pattern is illuminated on the glass drum 45 and projectedthrough the objective lens .43 to the constant exposure point 60,whilethe strip of film 58 is .fed forward according to the particular breadthdimensions of the control bodies, so that the exposure always takesplace on fresh film'sur-;

'minate smoothly.

faces. Since the lines, while still in the con-- dition of controllines, are already justified, A l

and supervised, the photographic exposures maybe effected in rapidsuccession. For

this purpose alone the succession of the periodical plunger actuationsis to be effected with corresponding rapidity, becauseduring forms incolumn form can likewise be made, only a corresponding line displacementof the light-sensitive support has to be provided for. The drawing infact indicates the existence'of the photographic form on the film strip58, but the same in reality only. becomes visible after photographicdevelopment, and so forth.

The plunger 16, in the position-of the collector 5 adjusted for thecommencement of the controlling of a line, has to check .the

latter at the initial stop surface 13 of the initial control body. Thisprecaution is intended to determine in the first place the mostadvantageous arrangement of the plunger16 and to ensure in the secondplace that the photographic exposures can precede the adjustments fromtime to time of the light-sensitive supports.

On similar grounds the plungers 17 c'ooperating with the selector slots4 have to be located, in the position of the collector 5 just mentioned,within reach of the narrowest initial control body occurring. In thecase of the other control bodies under consideration the selector slots4 prove longer in the direction of the line, so that the upstrokes ofthe plungers 17 can always ter- The pneumatic operation of the latterexerts moreover a buffer-like action, so that the plunger strokes can bedi- 7 rectly lengthened or shortened. Figures 4, 5 and 6 indicate thatthe two kinds of control devices can be connected with one ang other. Tothe plunger 16 of Figure 4 is pivoted the key 32 of a cock 33, whichopens and closes the compressed air supply pipe 34. The latter iscontinuous with pipes 34 34 and 34 which open in the correspondingcylinders 18, 18 and 18 These accordingly receive their supplies ofcompressed air under the control of the strokes of the plunger 16. 1

The photographic composing machine described may as a whole consist ofan ordinary type-setting machine, in which the control bodies 1described above are employed in place of the matrices, thelongitudinally slidable collector 5, together with'the plungers 16 and17 hereinbefore described are used instead of the ordinary collector,and a photographic type-composing device is employed in place of thecasting and line-treating device, this composing device being'controlled by means of the control bodies. Ac-

cordingly a comparativel small number of control bodies will be sucientand will facilitate the introduction of the photographic composinmachines, both from the point of view of t e owner and from that of theop- I erators.

' not has to be employed.

'What I claim is 1. A photographic type-composing process, comprisingsetting up by a successlon of manual operations separate movable controlbodies each representing a printlng charactor, and deflectinga beam oflight into a direction determined by certain dimensions of each of thesaid control bodies in succession, thereby causing) the correspondingprinting characters to e photographed on a moving sensitized strip.

2. A photogra hie type-composing process, comprising orming a control meby setting up b a succession of manual operations movab e control bodieseach representing a printing character, justifying the control line, anddeflecting a beam of'light nto a direction determined by certaindimensions of each of the said control bodies in succes sion, therebycausing the corresponding printing characters to be photographed on amoving sensitized strip.

3. A photogra hie type-composing ess, comprising orming .a control me bysetting up by a succession of manual operations movable control bodieseach representing a printin character, justifying the control line, deecting a beam of li ht into a direction determined by certain imensionsv of each ofthe'said control bodies in succesthe correspondingprintingcliaracters to photographed on a moving sensitized strip andformmg a further control line of movable control bodies while thecontrol line previousl set up is controllingthe photographing? printingcharacters represented there y. Y Y 4. A photogra hie type-composmprocthe ess, comprising orming a control he by setting up b a successionof manual operations movab e control bodies each representing a printingcharacter, justifyin the.con-.

trol'line, and deflecting a beam ofdight into a direction determined bycertain dimensions of each of the said control bodies in succession,thereby causing the corres on ing printing characters to be photograp edn a v p v procmoving "sensitized strip, the control bodies beingassembled from stacks and re-distributed thereto after use in amechanical circuit like the matrices of a type-setting machine;

5. A photographic type-eomposingmachine, comprising a longitudinallyslidable collector adapted. to assemble control bodies representingparticular printing characters into control lines.

6. A photographic type-composin machine for carrying out the process 0aimed in claim 1, comprising a longitudinally slidable collector adaptedto assemble control bodies representing particular printing charactersinto control lines.

7 A photographic type-com osing machine, com rislng a longitudina lyslidable.

collector a apted to assemble control bodies representing particularprinting characters into control lines, a plunger mounted near the pathof the collector and adapted to cooperate step by step with the controlbodies assembled therein, and means for periodi- I 9. A photographic)type-composin machine, comprising a longitudinally s idable collector aapted to assemble control bodies representing particularprintingcharacters into control lmes, a plunger mounted near the path ofthe collector and adapted to cooperate step by step with the controlbodies assembled therein, and means for periodically reciprocating theplun r, the plunger engaging with the outer en faoe of the mitialcontrol body when the colleetor is in its startin control position.

10. A p otographic type-composing machine, comprising a longitudina lyslidable collector a apted to assemble control bodies representingparticular printing characters into contro operate step by step with thecontrol bodies assembled therein, and means for periodicallyreciprocating the plunger, the line of action of the plunger being insuch a position in relation to the path of the collectorthat it canengage adequatel with even the narrowest-of the control bo ies whenoccupying the initial position in the control line.

.ed to assemble control bodies representm particular printingcharacters" into. contro lines, a plunger mounted near the path of thecollector and adapted to colines, a plunger mounted near the path of thecollector and adapted to co-operate step by step with the controlbodies'a'ssembled therein, and means for periodicallyreciproeating theplunger in place of the usual matrices and matrice-collector, andphotographic type-composing means controlled by the said control bodiesin place of the usual casting and line-treating means.

.' 12. A photographic type-composing ma chine, comprising alongltudinally sl idable collector adapted to assemble into controllines, control bodies representing particular printing characters andhaving certain linear dimensions that differ from the correspondinglinear dimensions of similar control bodies representing other printingcharacters, and comprising guiding surfaces substantially parallel tothe direction of the line of control bodies when set up, and lateralbounding planes perpendicular to the said guiding surfaces. In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification. EDMOND UHER, JR.

